Training, incubation and acceleration for tech-entrepreneurs at the Technical University of Cartagena
The Technical University of Cartagena (UPCT, from its Spanish name Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena), has among its objectives the dissemination, promotion, and training in entrepreneurship skills for all the members of its community. To do so, the Vice-chancellor of Innovation and Corporate Affairs enjoys the outstanding connection of the University with the surrounding industry, featuring UPCT’s Red de Cátedras de Empresa with more than 50 Chairs in private companies and other relevant actors of the productive sectors such as corporate associations and administrations.
This mission objective is executed following three main strategies:
- dissemination of entrepreneurship culture and training in skills,
- technology and knowledge transfer, and
- acceleration programs linked to industrial and economic initiatives.
UPCT’s Oficina de Emprendedores y Empresas de Base Tecnológica (OEEBT) works as a hub where the university’s researchers, staff members, and students can find mentoring and support to transform their innovative projects into business cases. The OEEBT also supports the academic training of the students of the different Master, Bachelor, and Ph.D. Degrees offered by UPCT’s Schools of Engineering and Architecture, together with its Faculty of Economy. Technology-based spin-offs of the university may as well enjoy the programs designed to support their path into the exploitation of their research results.
The Technical University of Cartagena collaborates with relevant partners in incubator and acceleration programs. While students can apply to Santander Bank’s Explorer grants, non-UPCT members may also apply to the calls offered by Telefónica Open Future Hub Carthago, a partnership of Telefónica, INFO Región de Murcia, Cartagena’s Chamber of Commerce and Technical University of Cartagena. Sited at UPCT, this is the only Hub of Telefónica Open Future in the Region of Murcia and has a special emphasis on the acceleration of technological startups. IT, IoT, and Deep-Tech projects. These target groups can also enjoy the acceleration offers of the Cloud Incubator Hub through National and EU-Funded projects such as Euxcel, Unicorn, ScaleUP, MommyPreneur, Startup Europe Week, Startup Comes to Universities and IoT Tribe Space Endeavour.
UPCT collaborates with the Regional Development Agency of Murcia (INFO Murcia) in the SCALE UP project. They are involved in SCALE UP as a member of the Regional Action Group which provides advice to INFO, by contributing to the identification of priorities and analysis of potential programmes to be implemented in the region in order to foster scale up of innovative SMEs in the region.
